Is attempted Red Bull sabotage of Lando Norris grid tape acceptable?

Lando Norris uses a strip of tape on the pit wall as a reference point for how far forward he can be in his starting grid slot.

The McLaren driver has been doing this for some time, as it is almost impossible to see an F1 grid box from the cockpit of a car.

However, in recent rounds, Red Bull has attempted to interfere with this strip of tape to hinder the nine-time grand prix winner, with Max Verstappen now chasing him — and team-mate Oscar Piastri — down in the F1 drivers' standings.

At the United States Grand Prix, the Milton Keynes-based squad was punished for a team member returning to the gate well area after the start of the formation lap, all as part of an attempt to remove Norris' tape.

The six-time constructors' champion received a €50,000 (€25,000 suspended) fine — but there was no punishment for the attempted sabotage itself.

That is because there is nowhere in the F1 regulations that covers the use of tape on the pit wall as a reference marker, which therefore means the rules do not stipulate whether interfering with it is forbidden or otherwise.

F1 has long seen underhand tactics and clever ploys played out, all in the name of gaining a sporting advantage. You do what you must to win, and sometimes that involves disadvantaging a rival.

But is that acceptable in modern F1? Should it be prohibited by the FIA, or is it just part of the game?

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